Plans for the Caterpillar Crater, Ypres

[bierlijn]

The plan for the Caterpillar Crater currently in discussion will certainly see the removal of the trees in the crater including the willows.

A plan to drain the crater to allow access has been suspended/abandoned due to the expense-practicability issue, but a the idea of a walkway bridge over the crater appeared to be unanimously agreed, until an objection was offered by the department for the environment. Should this objection be overcome, a planning application would expected in due course.

This info is from documents publicly available at Ieper Town Hall.

[chrislock]

Thank you for posting this Hugh, fascinating and I will pop into the Ypres town hall and have a look!

[stevem49]

What about the poor frogs which live there!

Interesting news nonetheless.

[bruilooze]

Glad i,ve seen it before the "improvements"

Dave

[Seadog]

Frankly the plans as described here sound awful, yes clear some of the undergrowth to make the crater more visible but a bridge?. Who actually owns the land where the crater is?

Norman

[bierlijn]

Province of West Flanders owns the land. There is a huge expenditure coming up around Hill 60, with a new carpark on the east side, replacement of the railway bridge, new temporary train station, second footbridge from the south end of H 60 to Battle Wood.

Further, the land between Larch Wood Cemetery has been compulsory purchased and something will be made of the tunnel entrance area, and this will be linked up the slope by the railway to H60 through the gap between new house and railway.by a path. There is no plan to do anything with The Dump, which remains in private hands.

Unfortunately with H60 being ringed by houses, no plan has been submitted to replace the viewing tower so there will be no opportunity to look at the salient from the height at Hill 60, which was rather what the fighting was about. The only view will be the lower angle view at the old car park, same as you get at many points on the ridges..

[stevem49]

Got to make their money between 2014 and 2018 I am rapidly going off the idea of visiting the area.

[nigelcave]

To say I am not wildly enthused about changes around Hill 60 since my first visit in 1968 would be to put it mildly. However, my father felt the same way about changes between 1968 and his first visit in 1938. We don't live there and so we are only a passing voice, but ... Sigh!

[stripeyman]

Steve and Nigel....I totally agree with your remarks.

[bierlijn]

A concept such as 'We will mark out No Mans Land' might on the surface seem in danger of presenting an over simplified impression of the war, and even as trees are felled and lanes of bushes are planted along the 'front lines', there is nobody acting as a public spokesman to explain whether there is a plan to offer any greater texture of understanding.

[bierlijn]

Chris, if you're going to the town hall, there is now a building permit displayed at Hill 60 listing bridge over the Caterpillar Crater as one of the projects, so it is going to happen. There will be a diagram of said bridge in the docket.

[Roger H]

This all sounds dreadful.

Roger